Trolley mechanism



Nov. 20, 1928.

J. HOLLIS TROLLEY MECHANISM Filed Jan. 11, 1925 Patented Nov. 29, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE.

JOSEPH HOLLIS, OF CANTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO THE OHIO BRASS COMPANY, OF MANSFIELD, UHIO, A CORPORATION OF NEW FE RSEY.

MECHANISM.

Application filed .Tanaary 11, 1923 Serial No. 611,928.

This invention relates to trolley mech anisms of the trolley retrieving and catcher types, examples of which are respectively disclosed in U. S. L tters Patent Nos. 1,056,742 (dated March 18, 1913) and 1,1at6,877 (dated July 20, 1915) granted to me; more particularly, the invention has to do with the lubrication of the shaft for the rope carrying or winding drum and other parts which may be rotatably mounted thereon, in a mechanism of this character.

One object of the invention is to provide in a trolley mechanism having a rope carrying or winding drum, improved lubricant iolding and supplying means adapted to supply lubricant to the shaft on which the drum rotates.

Another object of the inventionis to provide a rope carrying or winding drum with a lubricant holding chamber and to so i range this chamber that it can be readily refilled from time to time.

Another object of the invention is to provide in a trolley mechanism, an improved rope carrying or winding drum having a lubricant holding chamber and a. duct leading thereinto through the drum wall, whereby thechamber may be readily filled.

A further object of the invention is to provide in a trolley mechanism an improved rope carrying or winding drum having a lubricant holding chamber shaped to form a pocket so arranged that escape of the entire supply of lubricant in the chamber is prevented when the drum comes to rest with the chamber disposed at the uppermost position in its path of movement.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art to which my invention relates from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein v Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a rope carrying or winding drum embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary side elevation, partly in section and enlarged to facilitate the illustration.

In the drawings, 1 indicates as an entirety a drum adapted to have wound on it and unwound from it a rope (not shown), which is to be connected at its outer or free end to the trolleypole of an electric vehicle, such as an electric railway car. The inner end of the rope is preferably connected to the drum in the manner disclosed in my afore saic Patent No. 1,146,877, The drum 1 may comprise a web 2 connected with a hub at its inner portion and at itsouter portion con nected with a rim a having flanges 5, 5, extending around its opposite circumferential edges, the rim 1 serving as the wall on which the rope winds. The hub 3 is extended from either side of tne web 2 to provide a relatively long bearing on the shaft, which preferably has connected to its opposite ends the casing members that house the drum and its controlling elements and operating spring (not shown). In the illustrated form of construction, one side, of the we 2 is provided with an annular series of ratchet teeth 6, with which a pawl (not shown) engages to control the rotation of the" drum. The web 2, hub 23,

rim d and flanges 5 are preferably formed integrally. 7

7 indicates a chamber provided on one side or face of the web 2, preferably that side opposite to the teeth 6, for receiving and holding supply of suitable lubricant. The chamber 7 is disposed bet-ween the inner side of the rim and the hub 8, the walls of these parts co-operating with side walls 8, 8, each connected thereto, to form the chamber 7, 9 indicates the front wall of the chamber The wall 9 is formed with an opening 10, vhereby, in manufacture of the drum, by casting, coring material may be removed readily from the chamber 7. The opening it) is preferably round and the wall thereof is rabbeted, as shown at 10, to form a seat for a disk 11. The dislr 11 is preferably concavoconvex in shape, and after being positioned in its seat, it is hammered into a substantially fiat condition, such operation serving to force its circumferential edge into intimate engagement with the wall of the opening 10 and thus close the opening in a liquid-tight manner.

in its outer end to receive a suitable tool, whereby the plug may be properly positioned and removed.

It will be noted that it the drum 2 comes to rest with the lubricant holding chamber 7 in the uppermost position, shown in Fig. 3, and remains idle in that position, the 1ubricant is apt to flow through the outlet duct 12 and in time entirely escape. To overcome this disadvantage, I extend each of the side walls 8 to a point beyond a plane which is tangential to that portion of the hub 3 in which the duct 12 is formed, and then inwardly,'the inner end of the wall being connected to the hub 3 at a point somewhat remote from the port 12; this construction serving to form pockets l6, 16, one at either side of the port 12. W hen the drum 2 comes to rest in the position shown in Fig. 8, the pockets 16 will be below t is level oif'the inlet end of the port 12. Accord ng'ly, the pockets 16 will retain a porti n ot the lubricant no matter how long the trolley mechanism may remain idle, tosupply to the drum shaft when the mechanism is again put into use.

It will be seen that in the construction of trolley mechanism and the drum herein disclosed, no removal of parts or disassembly of the mechanism is required to lubricate the drum shaft. The construction is such that a quantity of lubricant can be providedin the supply chamber and the supply renewed from time to timein a ready and convenient manner. It will also be seen that the invention is particularly applicable to types of trolley mechanism, such as herein referred to, wherein the main shaft or drum shaft forms the connecting element between the casing members and the removal thereof involves the disassembly of substantially the entire mecha nism. l Vhere a considerable portion of the trolley rope is wound on the drum-and it is desired to refill the chamber, all that is necessary is to unwind a portion of the rope from the drum until the plug 14 is exposed and then to remove the latter. Accordingly it will be seen that the chamber 7 can be refilled from time to time in a quick and easy manner.

To those skilled in the art of making apparatus of the class described, many alterations in construction and widely differing embodiments and applications of the invention will suggest themselves without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. My disclosures and the description herein are purely illu trative and are not intended to be in any sense limiting.

What I claim is:

1. In mechanism of the class described, the combination of a drum comprising a web, a

hub and a rim on which a rope may be wound, a lubricant holding chamber disposed on one side of said web and connected with a supply duct formed in said rim and a discharge duct formed in said hub through which the lubricant hows, the front wall of said chamher being formed with an opening which is rabbeted, and a concave-convex disk fitting said opening and adapted to be pressed into substantially flat condition to make the joint between itscircumt'erential edge and the wall of said opening liquid-tight.

2. In mechanism of the class described, the combination of a drum having a web, a'hub and a rim on which a rope may be wound, a lubricant holding chamber disposed on said web and connected with a supply duct formed in said rim and a discharge duct formed in said hub through which the lubricant flows, the front wall of said chamber being formed with an opening which is rabbeted, and a concaveconvex disc fitting said opening and'adapted to be pressed into substantially flat condition to make the joint between its circumferential edge and wall over said opening liquid-tight, the said chamber arranged to surround the wall of said hub for substantially one halt its circumference to form a pocket on each side of the hub wall to retain the lubricant therein when the drum stands with the chamber above said hub.

8. In mechanism of the class described, the combination of a drum, comprising a web, a hub and a rim on which a rope ,may be wound, ratchet teeth projecting toone side of the rim adapted to be engaged by a pawl to hold'the drum against rotation, a lubricant holding chamber disposed on said web and connected with a supply duct formed in said rimand a discharge duct formed in said hub through which the lubricant flows, the front wall of said chamber being formed with .an opening having a shoulder and a concave-convex disc fitting said opening and adapted to be pressed into substantially flat condition to make the joint between said circumterential edge and the wall of said opening liquidtight. Y i i at. In mechanism of the classdesci'ibed, the combination of a drum .comprisinga web, ,a hub and a rim on which a rope may be wound, ratchet teeth projecting to one side of the rim adapted to engage a pawl to holdthe drum against rotation, and a lubricant holding chamber disposed on said web and connected with a supply duct formed in said rim and a discharge duct formed in said hub through which the lubricant flows. v i

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name. i I

' JOSEPH HOLLIS. 

